Category Archives: OLIVER DAWSON SAXON

This deliberately raw set, laid down in 2013, starts with the brilliant bullet of ‘Past The Point’ from the group’s first studio release, as SON OF A BITCH, yet sadly includes only one piece, the grindingly infectious ‘Whippin’ Boy,’ from its successor, “Motorbiker”. Vocalist Brian Shaughnessy holds his own there, like he does on the epic ‘Crusader.’ The singer appreciates the irony of ‘Denim And Leather’ whose first line asks, ‘Where were you in ’79?’ as he was born later, while ‘And The Band Played On’ shows the ensemble can still rope in power, if not glory. Ain’t that what metal was about in the first place? ****

DMME.net (December 2014)

…played with a virtuosity and a genuine desire to pay tribute to the musical heritage of SAXON…A smashing and friendly output.

Nightfall.fr (November 2014)

Excellent sound quality here that rivals the band’s studio recordings. Killer rockers include “Schwemetal Fur Immer,” “Whippin’ Boy,” “Princess of the Night,” and “And The Band Played On.”

babysue (September 2014)

‘Blood And Thunder Live’ is a prime example of what Oliver Dawson Saxon are all about so if you’re looking for a sizable chunk of classic heavy metal to crank up and kick back to while you sink a few beers and get reminiscing of old days this will suit you down to the ground.

Metal Thunder (August 2014)

Oliver and Dawson both have their names on the songwriting credits for the likes of ‘Crusader’, ‘Dallas 1PM’ and ‘Denim and Leather’ and the versions here overflow with raw energy and power, just three of the numerous NWOBHM classics featured here. Shaughnessy acquits himself well and whilst ODS will never enjoy the level of success currently being enjoyed by Biff & Co they are most definitely more than just a tribute band.

…a legitimate slab of thundering old-school metal…Definitely rawer and in-your-face than Biff/Quinn Saxon, The OD’s speed through generation anthems like ‘Strong Arm Of The Law’, ‘Motorcycle Man’, ’747′ and ‘Power And The Glory’ with all the enthusiasm of the good old times…

Goblin, Metal Gods (March 2003)

The album was recorded live in Bradford and has a great fresh feel to it with all the guitar riffs and a strong heavy drum beat pounding the songs along.

Alistair Flynn, Classic Rock Society (April 2003)

…a very solid performance with the songs being crunched out, and they contain quite a few classics…

Feedback (May 2003)

…Although the true SAXON fans will not really enjoy SAXON withou Biff, I can still recommend this quality live-record to them, because the sound is pretty much close to perfection! (8.5/10)

Strutter Magazine (August 2003)

Instrumentally, the band is tight, powerful, and delivers the Saxon classics as you would hope to hear them. Even the Son Of Bitch tracks (“Past The Point” and “Bitch Of A Place To Be”) are good metal songs.

Chris Dugan – METAL DREAMS

…their brand of riff laden melodic metal still sounds as good twenty five years on as it did in the late 70′s…this is a cracking live album from one of the best NWOBHM bands…

Steve Ward, Classic Rock Society, (January 2004)

… a storming live album…A tremulous barrage of hard riffs and banshee vocals, it’s a thunderous collection that highlights both older Saxon classics and new material…

…this is an album for those with an ear for old school classic metal, happy to bask in the nostalgia of the glory days of the NWOBHM…a decent enough effort from ODS that will certainly be of interest to fans of the original band.

Sea Of Tranquility (February 2012)

…these guys make no attempt to try and recreate the Saxon sound, hell they generally sound much more relevant and contemporary than Saxon have in years! This is in part thanks to the vocal talents of John ‘Wardi’ Ward, who has a great contemporary voice and vocal style, much more throaty than Biff Byford’s ever was…This Album deserves to be heard! Well worth checking out! Rating 10/10

Sinister Angels Realm (January 2012)

This is a GREAT album; a Really Great Album. It’s exciting, it’s attention-grabbing, and it packs a solid punch and a hard-edged contemporary sound. From the almost call-to-prayer opening of the Eastern-tinged ‘Chemical Romance’ to the dying notes of ‘Nursery Crimes’, ‘Motorbiker’ is 52 minutes of thoroughbred British metal. No fillers, no fakers: ‘Motorbiker’ serves up twelve slabs of deliciously-inviting no-nonsense neck-breakers and doesn’t look back from the off: check out the smack-in-the-face of ‘Whippin’ Boy’, the title track’s terrific harmony guitar break or the driving industrial jackboots of ‘No Way Out’…

‘Motorbiker’ is as exciting and stylish as it comes. The interplay between Oliver and Conway is top-notch, the rhythm section is as tight as they come and Wardi delivers the good with as much passion and vitriol as the moment dictates…my advice to the band would be to drop the ‘Oliver Dawson Saxon’ and have enough faith to go out as O.D.S. (chuck in some umlauts as necessary) as on the strength of ‘Motorbiker’ there’s no need for Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson to fall back on past glories. The future lies firmly straight ahead: go get it, boys…

John Tucker (February 2011)

…their latest Angel Air offering represents a muscular throwback to the golden days of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the early eighties. Motorbiker is unlikely to win over too many new converts to their cause but it’s a solid piece of work nonetheless…

Kevin Bryan (Hucknall Dispatch)

…”Whipping Boy” and “Motorbiker” the song distil heavy metal to its purest anthemic zip, whereas a soaring instrumental piece “Screaming Eagles” sends the listener back to “The Eagle Has Landed”. Right: power and the glory are still at play here.

DME Music Site

…there’s some seriously good metal getting revved up on ‘Motorbiker’. Graham still has that six string midas touch and with simple riffing structures and memorable melodies during the outstanding solos tracks like ‘World’s Gone Crazy’, ‘Ghost’ and ‘Nevada Beach’ show that guitar parts don’t have to be Dragonforced to within an inch of their lives to be impressive and effective.

On the most part I was hugely impressed by ‘Motorbiker’, it’s far better than I was expecting given the way Oliver/Dawson Saxon have been portrayed over the years. Hopefully this release can go some way towards turning the tide and proving to people that these rock ‘n’ roll gypsies still have plenty left to give. I mean, they’ve already given you a lifetime’s worth of great tunes so you’ll never know what else you’re missing if you let ‘Motorbiker’ pass you by. Remember….Ignorance is no excuse.

Standout tracks: ‘Whippin’ Boy’, ‘Ghost’, ‘Nevada Beach’

Uber Rock (March 2012)

…the album’s finest moment comes with the electrifying ‘Whippin’ Boy’, which heavy metal thunders along on double bass drum blasts and a riff that leaves you in no doubt that you are listening to a guitarist who wrote some of the most recognisable riffs in the NWOBHM…ODS have the songs to prove they are the real deal and hopefully this is the start of these devils riding out on a more permanent basis!

Fireworks magazine

A surprise does lie in wait for those that take the plunge with ‘Motorbiker’. Rather than mere Saxon cast-offs, there is some seriously good 1980′s inspired heavy metal on show. As to be expected, solos are never far away, there are squealing guitar leads aplenty…

I must admit that I am a Saxon fan for whom it’s not really Saxon without Biff Byford on vocals. but John Ward comes pretty bloody close…there is plenty to please Saxon fans of all tastes.

Classic Rock Society (January 2003)

…some generous bonus features, including documentary footage and interview material, while American fans will be especially pleased to discover that all three are “region-free,” meaning they will play on any regular DVD player.